As part of a slew of announcements today, Pokémon has revealed that some beloved gimmicks from the early days of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) will make a comeback in 2025.

Trainer's Pokémon and Team Rocket Cards Teased for TCGNo Confirmed Official Date Yet

Trainers and fans can look forward to the return of "Trainer’s Pokémon," in Pokémon TCG, as announced today by the company during the 2024 Pokémon World Championships. This announcement came along with a teaser trailer, which showed trainers like Marnie, Lillie, and N, and also hinted at the possible return of Team Rocket-themed cards.

The Trainer’s Pokémon cards were considered a staple in the early days of Pokémon TCG. These cards typically represent Pokémon owned by specific trainers or characters. These cards often indicated unique abilities and showed special artwork distinct from regular cards. The Trainer’s Pokémon cards that were shown today include Lillie’s Clefairy ex, Marnie’s Grimmsnarl ex, N’s Zoroark ex, and N’s Reshiram.

The teaser also briefly hinted at Team Rocket, showing Mewtwo alongside the iconic triad's team symbol. This has led to speculation that a Team Rocket-themed card set or even the return of Dark Pokémon—another fan-favorite mechanic from the early days—could be returning in 2025. Dark Pokémon were associated with Team Rocket and featured more aggressive and "edgier" versions of familiar Pokémon.

Rumors have been swirling about these Team Rocket cards coming to Pokémon TCG. Previous reports have indicated a retailer listing in Japan and a trademark filing by The Pokémon Company, titled The Glory of Team Rocket. Though nothing has been officially confirmed, we could also be seeing their addition to the game soon.

Paradise Dragona Set Revealed at World Championships

In other Pokémon TCG news, the first cards from the upcoming Celestial Storm set were shown at the 2024 Pokémon World Championships today. According to reports from news site PokeBeach, the cards featured were of Latios, Latias, Exeggcute, and Alolan Exeggutor GX. Celestial Storm is a Japanese subset of cards focused on Dragon-type Pokémon. These cards are expected to be released in English as part of the Celestial Storm set in November 2024.

While fans and trainers await more official details, TCG is currently wrapping up a wave of exciting updates. The Sun & Moon chapter will conclude with the launch of the Cosmic Eclipse this month. According to the Pokémon TCG blog, Cosmic Eclipse features 100 cards: 60 main cards and 40 secret rare cards.